Fact of the day

Information is the most powerful weapon.

Monday

Fact N°
1501

Alaska is the only state that allows a plane to take off from the road.

Alaska's vast geography means that many people live in remote, hard-to-reach regions; thus, aviation is one of the state's primary methods of transportation, according to a spokesman for the governor's office quoted on MSNBC. The fact that 49 other states don't allow planes to take off from the road may be a problem for emerging vehicles such as the Terrafugia Transition, so-called "roadable aircraft" that can both be flown in the air and driven on the road.

Tuesday

Fact N°
1502

Roughly one in four men admit to having faked an orgasm.

According to a survey by Glamour magazine and published by AOL Health, of 1,013 men polled, 24% of them admitted to having faked an orgasm. AskMen.com's much broader Great Male Survey uncovered an almost identical (23%) figure.
A similar number of men (27%) claim to have had sex with a woman they "actively disliked." That second figure was down substantially from 1995 when Glamour asked the same question and over half (58%) of the men asked said they had.

Wednesday

Fact N°
1503

In the 1930s, Ronald Reagan broadcast baseball games for the Chicago Cubs.

Actually, he did radio recreations of Chicago Cubs games from an Iowa radio station as reports of the game would come over the wire on the teletype. A teletype, also known as a teleprinter, was a device that transmitted typed messages from point to point. It descended from the telegraph and the stock ticker machine used in the late 19th century on Wall Street. It has not entirely been relegated to the dustbin of history, as TDDs, or Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf, still use the same general technology.

Thursday

Fact N°
1504

The original formula for 7-Up contained the mood stabilizer Lithium.

In 1929, weeks before the Stock Market crash, C.L. Grigg introduced "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" to an already crowded beverage market. The original formula, like many drinks of the time, contained the mood stabilizer lithium citrate and was advertised as a way to cope with a hangover.
Remarkably, the well-known 7-Up ad campaign positioning it as the Un-Cola dates back to 1967.

Friday

Fact N°
1505

The world economy endures a global recession every 8 to 10 years.

In 2002, the International Monetary Fund issued its World Economic Outlook Report, a study that examined 93 recessions in a number of countries across a 30-year span. Not only was the 8 to 10 year cycle uncovered, but also that by-and-large, global recessions have actually become much milder over time.

Saturday

Fact N°
1506

The term "recession" is a product of the Great Depression.

Historically, until the Great Depression of the 1930s, there were no recessions because any time the economy tanked, it was termed a depression. The Great Depression was so devastating, and felt across so many borders, that analysts realized they needed to redefine the notion by giving a new label to smaller and shorter economic downturns.
Despite this, there is still no widely accepted definition of either a global recession or a depression.

Sunday

Fact N°
1507

Oscar winners who want to sell their statue must first offer it to the Academy for $1.

Since 1950, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars every year, has required that winners sign a document stating that, if they want to sell their statue, they first have to offer it to the Academy for $1. The agreement extends to their heirs as well.
Despite this, there is a black market for Oscars -- with some going for seven figures. Notable buyers include magician David Copperfield, who spent $232,000 for the Best Director Oscar for Casablanca.